The boar is certainly the bravest of all animals: he is the real "King
of the Jungle," and the other animals all know it. If you watch a
drinking-pool in the jungle at night, you will see the animals that
come to it all creeping down nervously, looking out in every direction
for hidden enemies. But when the boar comes he simply swaggers down,
with his great head and shiny tusks swinging from side to side; he
cares for nobody, but everybody cares for him; even a tiger drinking
at the pool will give a snarl and sneak quickly out of sight.
I have often lain out on moonlight nights to watch the animals,
especially wild boars, in the jungle, and it is just as good fun as
merely going after them to kill them.
And I have caught and kept a young wild boar and a young panther, and
found them most amusing and interesting little beggars. The boar used
to live in my garden, and he never became really tame, though I got
him as a baby.
He would come to me when I called him--but very warily; he would never
come to a stranger, and a native he would "go for," and try to cut him
with his little tusks.
He used to practise the use of his tusks while turning at full speed
round an old tree stump in the garden, and he would gallop at this and
round it in a figure of eight continuously for over five minutes at a
time, and then fling himself down on his side, panting with his
exertions.
My panther was also a beautiful and delightfully playful beast, and
used to go about with me like a dog; but he was very uncertain in his
dealings with strangers.
I think one gets to know more about animals and to understand them
better by keeping them as pets first, and then going and watching them
in their wild, natural life.
But before going to study big game in the jungles, everybody must
study all animals, wild and tame, at home. It would be a very good
thing if every Scout kept some kind of animal, such as a pony or a
dog, birds or rabbits, or even live butterflies.
Every Boy Scout ought to know all about the tame animals which he sees
every day. You ought to know all about grooming feeding, and watering
a horse, about putting him into harness or taking him out of harness,
and putting him in the stable, and know when he is going lame and
should not therefore be worked.
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